Time and wavelength-shifted dynamic bidirectional system

ABSTRACT

A bidirectional optical network, in which an incoming/downstream modulated optical signal(s) of a particular wavelength may carry content from a headend to a subscriber. An incoming/downstream unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s) from the headend is time-shifted (i.e., time delayed with respect to just received incoming/downstream optical signal(s)), collected, modulated and sent back as return/upstream optical signal(s) from the subscriber to the headend. The return/upstream optical signal(s) may have the same wavelength or a slightly shifted wavelength relative to incoming/downstream optical signal(s). Wavelength, bandwidth, subscriber priority and service (content) provider may be fixed, dynamically, or statistically assigned. A modulated marker optical signal(s) is sent along with a modulated data optical signal simultaneously in a different plane. The modulated data optical signal(s) can therefore be securely delivered to a subscriber(s) according to the marker identification. Furthermore a device can be constructed from a group of components comprising an integrated tunable laser-modulator, a wavelength converter, a cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router, a photonic bandgap cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router, a burst enabled detector in order to electro-optically connect network elements, processors and chipsets on a printed circuit board.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The Present Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication 60/717,232, entitled “WDM Communication System,” which wasfiled on Sep. 15, 2005. The U.S. Provisional Patent Application60/717,232 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a dynamic bidirectional opticalnetwork. In particular, the present invention relates to a metro-accessoptical network.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention illustrates a time- and wavelength-shiftedbidirectional optical network in which an optical signal(s) of awavelength(s) is propagated. This wavelength(s) may be fixed,dynamically or statistically assigned. This optical signal(s) may carryservice or content (for example, voice, video and data) from a headendto a subscriber (for example, home or business).

According to one embodiment, the optical signal(s) of a particularwavelength (“incoming/downstream optical signal”) is time-shifted at asubscriber (i.e., time delayed with respect to the incoming/downstreamoptical signal(s) from the headend), and reflected/sent back as areturn/upstream optical signal(s) from the subscriber to the headendeither having the same or slightly shifted wavelength with respect tothe wavelength of the incoming/downstream optical signal. Such a time-or wavelength-shifted dynamic bidirectional optical network may beconfigured in a tree, a ring, or a star topology.

The present invention is better understood upon consideration with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 describes a time- or wavelength-shifted dynamic bidirectionaloptical network 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 describes multiple optical signal processing functions in asubscriber subsystem 340, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 describes a wavelength conversion, an optical signal processingfunction (in addition to previous multiple optical processing functions)in a subscriber subsystem 350, according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 describes a wavelength cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router150, according to another embodiment of a time and wavelength shifteddynamic bidirectional optical network of the present invention.

FIG. 5 describes a universal subscriber gateway related to a subscribersubsystem 340 or 350 according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As described in FIG. 1, at a headend, one or more fast switching tunablelaser(s) 120 (preferably, bursty emission-enabled laser with a lowcoherence length), having many switched wavelengths is externallymodulated by a modulator(s) 140 during statically, dynamically orstatistically assigned time slots to transmit a modulated opticalsignal(s). For a shorter reach, the fast switching tunable laser(s) 120may be internally modulated rather than externally modulated by externalmodulator(s) 140. Any modulation format may be used, for example but notlimited to an optical intensity modulation. At other times, fastswitching tunable laser(s) 120 may transmit an unmodulated continuouswave optical signal(s). The output optical signal(s)—modulated opticalsignal(s) as well as unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s) frommodulator(s) 140—is combined by a wavelength combiner 160 (preferably,low cross-talk and low-loss) before being transmitted via circulator 220(or any suitable optical power splitter) and amplified using an opticalamplifier 240 (remotely optically pumped, if needed) onto an opticalfiber, such as single-mode holey optical fiber 260 or any suitableguided conduit for light propagation.

Optical fibers in a ring network topology may be connected via anoptical switch 280 to form a protection path, so as to avoid serviceinterruption resulting from a failure in an optical fiber.

An integrated wavelength combiner/decombiner 300 (e.g., an arrayedwaveguide grating router; preferably, low-crosstalk and low-loss)combines or divides the optical signal(s) to and from subscribersubsystem(s) 340 or 350, either directly or through one or more optionalintegrated optical power/wavelength/polarization combiner/decombiners320. An integrated optical power/wavelength/polarizationcombiner/decombiner 320 can be utilized to combine or divide the opticalsignal(s), on a power, wavelength or polarization basis, to a pluralityof subscriber subsystems 340 or 350.

In one embodiment, the wavelength assigned to subscriber subsystem(s)340 or 350 may be fixed. In another embodiment, the wavelength assignedto a subscriber subsystem(s) 340 or 350 may be dynamically orstatistically varied. The headend thus sends both modulated opticalsignal(s) and unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s) during a setof fixed, dynamically or statistically assigned time slots utilizing asuitable centralized or distributed algorithm (e.g., a mathematicalalgorithm) with or without regard to priority to any subscribersubsystem 340 or 350, class of service (e.g., voice, video or data) orservice/content providers. Such an algorithm may take into accountsynchronization time, propagation time, switching time from modulatedoptical signal(s) to unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s),downstream (from a headend to a subscriber) content delivery time,upstream (from a subscriber to a headend) content delivery time,subscriber-to-subscriber switching/guard time, priority according to asubscriber, a class of service or a service/content provider, anidentification, and a fairness constraint. The unmodulated continuouswave optical signal(s) from fast switching tunable laser(s) is providedby a headend to a subscriber subsystem 340 or 350 so as to allow asubscriber subsystem 340 or 350 to reflect, modulate, or send back areturn/upstream optical signal(s) to the headend with an added chirp(for example, random pilot tone modulation) at a subscriber subsystem340 or 350 to broaden the linewidth of a return/upstream opticalsignal(s) with a very careful attention to an eye-pattern.

The return/upstream optical signal(s) from a subscriber subsystem 340 or350, is sent through a circulator 220 to a decombiner 200 (preferably,low cross-talk and low-loss), where the wavelengths are separated,received and detected by tunable photodiodes 180. Tunable photodiode(s)180 (preferably bursty detection enabled) converts the optical signalsinto electrical signals for further electrical processing.

FIG. 2 describes multiple optical signal processing functions in asubscriber subsystem 340. According to one embodiment of the presentinvention, modulated optical signal(s) received by at circulator 220 (orany suitable optical power splitter) is sent to a programmable opticalpower splitter 360, which splits optical power according to a variableratio. The programmable optical power splitter 360 sends the modulatedoptical signal(s) to tunable photodiode(s) 180. This modulated opticalsignal(s) is received and detected by tunable photodiode(s) 180, whichconverts the optical signals detected into electrical signal(s) forfurther processing.

At other time slots, unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s)received by circulator 220 is sent from programmable optical powersplitter 360 to be amplified by an optical amplifier 380, modulated bymodulator 400 and filtered by noise reduction filter 420 (for example, aring resonator). These components collectively create thereturn/upstream optical signal(s) to the headend.

FIG. 3 describes a variation in optical signal processing functions in asubscriber subsystem 350, according to another embodiment of the presentinvention. Referring to FIG. 3, subscriber subsystem 350 differs from asubscriber subsystem 340 by an addition of a fast switching tunablewavelength shifter 440 (for example, a fast switching wavelengthconverter), which slightly shifts the received wavelength of aincoming/downstream optical signal(s) from λ₁ nm to λ₁* nm, beforedefining a return/upstream optical signal(s) to the headend.

To prevent any undesirable effects of background noise, opticalamplifier 380 and the tunable photodiode 180 within a subscribersubsystem(s) 340 or 350 may be rapidly turned on only when they areprocessing optical signal(s); otherwise, both the optical amplifier 380and the tunable photodiode 180 may remain turned off within subscribersubsystem(s) 340 or 350.

A compact semiconductor optical amplifier may be utilized to furthersimplify an optical amplifier 380. A reflective mode semiconductoroptical amplifier may be utilized. A field-effect semiconductor opticalamplifier integrated with an electro-absorption or a Mach-Zandermodulator may also be utilized. Semiconductor optical amplifier 380 maybe an in-plane quantum dot-based or a vertical cavity quantum dot-basedamplifier. A variable tunable optical attenuator may be utilized foroutput power-leveling in the return/upstream optical signal(s) fromsubscriber subsystem 340 or 350.

The entire subscriber subsystem 340 or 350 can be integrated as asystem-on-a package or a system-on-a chip.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the return/upstream optical signal(s) fromsubscriber subsystem(s) 340 or 350 is transmitted via a single modeoptical fiber 260, optical switch 280, and optical amplifier 240, and isreceived by a circulator 220 (or any suitable optical power splitter)during a set of fixed, dynamically or statistically assigned time slots.The return/upstream signal is then decombined or separated by awavelength decombiner 200 (preferably, low-crosstalk and low-loss) andreceived and detected by tunable photodiode(s) 180.

In this manner, a standalone time-shifted or time- andwavelength-shifted bidirectional communication system is established.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown inFIG. 4, a M number of fast switching tunable lasers 120, a M number ofmodulators 140 and a M number of fast switching tunable photodiodes 180may be connected via a M number of circulators 220 (or any suitableoptical power splitters) to a M inputs of a M (inputs):M (outputs)wavelength cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router 150 (preferablylow-crosstalk and low-loss) at a headend.

As shown in FIG. 4, when light from fast switching tunable laser 120 orfast switching tunable wavelength shifter 440 (for example, a wavelengthconverter) is switched in time at a particular input of a M:M cyclicarrayed waveguide grating router, all possible switched outputwavelengths of the fast switching tunable laser 120 or the fastswitching tunable wavelength shifter 440 are arranged or displayed atthe M outputs of the M:M cyclic arrayed waveguide router due to anunique free spectral range periodic property of the cyclic arrayedwaveguide grating router. This offers a flexibility of routing more thanone wavelength at any output.

Furthermore, each output of a M:M wavelength cyclic arrayed waveguidegrating router 150 may be connected to a 1:N arrayed waveguide gratingcombiner/decombiner 300 and which, in turn, may be further connected toa 1:K integrated optical power/wavelength/polarizationcombiner/decombiner 320. However, both the M:M wavelength cyclic arrayedwaveguide grating router 150 and 1:N arrayed waveguide gratingcombiner/decombiner 300 must match the bandpass wavelengths. Hence, thenumber of subscriber subsystems 340 or 350 that may be connected is theproduct of M, N and K (i.e., M times N times K). The actual residencetime of a wavelength to a subscriber subsystem 340 or 350 may bestatically, dynamically or statistically assigned. The fast switchingtunable laser 120 or the fast switching tunable wavelength shifter 440,the M:M wavelength cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router 150 and themathematical algorithm enable dynamic provision of wavelength,bandwidth, service or content, and service or content provider to asubscriber subsystem(s) 340 or 350.

Such a rapid wavelength routing (in space, wavelength and time) may beutilized as a dynamic optical packet router or as a dynamic opticalinterconnect between integrated circuits or microprocessors (i.e.,“chip-to-chip” optical interconnect).

FIG. 5 illustrates an implementation of a universal multi-functionsubscriber gateway with a subscriber subsystem 340 or 350, a FPGA,containing an embedded mathematical algorithm, and a processor or amicrocontroller 440 interacting with various hardware or software forexample, an authentication module 440, in-situ real-time diagnosticmodule 460, Internet firewall device 480, and Internet spyware firewalldevice 500. Communication functions may be carried out by a standardplain old telephony service (POTS) 520, a voice-over-Internet-basedprotocol service 540, a data processor 560, acommunication-over-wireless (including a millimeter wave) service 580, acommunication-over-coax service 600, and a communication-over-Cat 5cable service 620. In addition, a video-over-Internet-based protocol toregular TV converter 640, set-top box 660, a video recorder 680, T-1700, a smart home connection 720 and a wireless home sensor 740 may alsobe included. All functions mentioned above can be integrated into one ormore application-specific integrated circuits.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, securedelivery of data optical signal(s) to an intended destination may beachieved using a low bit rate marker optical signal(s) which ismodulated simultaneously at a different plane utilizing a differentmodulation format or scheme, in conjunction with a high bit rate opticaldata signal(s). The low bit rate marker optical signal(s) is extractedand converted from an optical domain to an electrical domain todetermine the destination of the data optical signal(s), while the dataoptical signal(s) remains in the optical domain until it is delivered.In this manner, additional routing capability and security in dataoptical signal delivery are provided.

The above description is provided to illustrate specific embodiments ofthe present invention and is not intended to be limiting. Manyvariations and modifications within the scope of the present inventionare possible. The present invention is set forth in the claims set forthbelow.

1-30. (canceled)
 31. A method of optical communication comprising thestep of time shifting an upstream optical signal relative to adownstream optical signal.
 32. A method of optical communicationcomprising the step of shifting a wavelength of an upstream opticalsignal relative to a wavelength of a downstream optical signal.
 33. Amethod for routing an input data optical signal comprising the steps ofextracting a target destination from a marker optical signal and routingan input data optical signal according to the target destinationextracted from the marker optical signal.